Meet Caldwell Barefoot

A respected family lawyer and mediator serving the community of Raleigh, North Carolina and surrounding counties with compassion and an objective perspective.

caldwell barefoot attorney

Caldwell was born and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina, where his mother still resides. His introduction to the law was through his father, who practiced for over 45 years before passing in 2012. He graduated from New Hanover High School before attending Wake Forest University, where he earned his BA in History in 1989. He worked in property management in Texas for two years before marrying in 1991 and moving to Raleigh for law school.

He is the divorced father of three adult sons, a fact that helps him relate through personal experience  with the family law issues his clients face. When his children were younger, he was a coach for their sports, participated in Y-Guides, and spent many hours traveling the east coast for lacrosse and rugby games. When he’s not busy managing the affairs of Barefoot Family Law, Caldwell likes to spend most of his time with friends and family on his farm in Granville County.

child support lawyer raleigh

Caldwell is an outstanding attorney. He truly cared about me as a client and was very responsive to my case. I am so grateful for his approach and guidance as he constantly took into account the best long term solution for me and my family.

— Michael M.
Client

A Legal Career Dedicated to Family Law

Caldwell graduated cum laude with his J.D. from Campbell University’s Norman A. Wiggins School of Law. During that time, he served as an Editor of the Campbell Law Review. Immediately following law school, Caldwell completed a one-year clerkship under Chief Justice Burley B. Mitchell, Jr. of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

The next step in Caldwell’s career was joining the ranks of Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton, LLP – one of the twenty largest law firms in North Carolina. There, he developed his skills in private practice as a family lawyer, eventually becoming one of its partners before leaving to start Barefoot Family Law in 2010. Caldwell is proud of the work he’s done to build Barefoot Family Law into a full-service family law firm that handles all types of litigation, mediation, and other conflict resolution for claims involving divorce, child custody, and property distribution.

Recognition & Awards

With over 25 years of experience as a family lawyer, Caldwell’s been the recipient of several awards and acknowledgments. These recognitions come at the discretion of his peers, who provide such distinctions to a select number of attorneys in North Carolina.

  • North Carolina Board Certified Family Law Specialist since 2005.
  • Member of the Business North Carolina Magazine’s Legal Elite Hall of Fame since 2013, an honor shared with less than 20 other family lawyers – one of whom is his partner, Mariana Godwin.
  • Voted as one of the Super Lawyer’s Top 100 lawyers across all practice areas throughout the state for 9 of the last 11 years, most recently for 2020, 2021, and 2022.
  • Selected as a “Best Lawyer” each year for more than ten consecutive years, including being named as Lawyer of the Year in the 2022 edition of Best Lawyers for Family Law attorneys in the Raleigh-Durham region.
  • Recipient of the highest rating (AV-rated) from Martindale-Hubbell.

Scholarship and Community Involvement

In addition to private practice, Caldwell participates in other legal activities for the betterment of Raleigh and the practice of family law in North Carolina. He was the managing editor for the book, North Carolina Family Law Marital Claims (Second Edition). Caldwell served a three-year term on the Grievance Committee for Wake County’s Tenth Judicial District. He’s also previously served as the co-chair of the Alimony Committee for the North Carolina Bar Association’s Family Law Council.

experienced family lawyer
attorney caldwell barefoot

Schedule a Consultation with Caldwell Barefoot

Caldwell appreciates the difficult positions of his clients who are trying to make the best decisions for themselves and their families. He hopes to be a trusted advisor through those moments by helping clients identify their goals and take the steps necessary to accomplish them – all the while, keeping an eye toward reason and common sense. If you have any questions about working with Caldwell and Barefoot Family Law, please do not hesitate to call or schedule a consultation to discuss your matter.

Contact Barefoot Family Law today for help with divorce, child custody, or other family law matters.